ValleyCon 44 - Oct. 19-21 2018 | Ramada Fargo - Fargo, ND

Past Guests of ValleyCon 34

ValleyCon strives to bring the best and most relevant guests featured in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, gaming and film & TV!
These guests include Media Icons, Artists, Authors, Psychics and many more. Autographs are available at one of the industry's LOWEST
price point ever. The guest will do panels, readings and demonstrations for your education and entertainment.

Madd Frank

Media Guest

Madd Frank hosted many horror films in the tradition of artists like Ghoulardi and Vampira.

"Good evening. Welcome to Madd Frank Presents. Let me hang up my cape and we'll talk about tonight's spooky movie." That's the way the episodes used to begin.

Madd Frank Presents ran Friday nights around 10pm, then 11 pm, then Saturday night, and then various times along the way on KVRR-TV, Channel 15 (Fargo, North Dakota) fromMay 1985 til 1995. It was syndicated on American Independent Network (AIN) with a package of about 18 shows aired to millions of viewers on many stations in about 40 states.

Madd Frank was surrounded with his on and off-screen cohorts including: Ichy Bodd, Vanilla White, Billy Jabber, the Madd Programmer and Dr. Phil O'dendron. The show, produced on a budget of dollars in the then-basement of KVRR, gained a cult following with viewers of all ages.

Madd Frank is in reality Fargo advertising legend Del Dvorachek and the rest of the cast include Vanilla White (counter part to Vanna White) who wrote many of the episodes. Vanilla (Judy Rae in real person) lives here in Fargo, plays piano evenings around town. Of the regular characters, Ichy Bodd, Marty Jonason, does photography and teaches acting and voice. Billy Jabber, the guy with the l940's football helmet does karaoke around Fargo. The Madd Programmer works for Public TV here in town, and Dr. Phil O'dendron, Bill Flint, did a year on the circuit as a stand up comedian.

James L. McIntyre of Grand Rapids, Minnesota contributed some great reminiscences on a website devoted to horror film hosts:
"I happen to know a lot about MADD FRANK. That's with two D's! Real name: Kent Kamron. He had two camera's for the show. The third was broken, or being repaired, or was on location, or was stolen, or was leased to another station, etc. There were only two cameras, but I loved the reasons why the third was never there! Miss Frizzy was the doll. George was the skull/candle he would light up at the beginning of every show! Harvey was always in his casket. The Madd Programmer was responsible for the movie, always an unknown or a bad movie. Ichy Bodd was from the medieval period. Billy Jabber would Jabber on and he always wore an old tank helmet from World War II. Dr. Phil O'dendron was always examining things like dead house plants, Madd Programmer's teeth, it depended on the movie being shown. Other films shown were Attack of the Giant Leeches, The Terror. Horror Express, etc. Most of the films were usually public domain films, or films he could legally broadcast. They even showed Gremlins at Christmas! The year before it was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. KVRR is located in Fargo, North Dakota. The basement was the studio's basement/dungeon! Little Shop of Horrors was shown and it even featured a cameo starring Madd Frank! Carrier Chicken delivered the fan mail. My biggest regret was not getting the Madd Frank poster when it was available."
The syndication of the show brought out fans from all over the US, not just in the Red River Valley. There are some inaccurate things in the website, so Madd himself wrote in to correct some of the information:

"Hi, E-gor, Madd Frank here. I plugged in my old stage name, and your site, along with a few others came up. Glad to see there is some nostalgia floating around about me. Some of the information I read about is true, some close to accurate. My real name is not Kent Kamron. That was the name I used in the credits for the show, but it is the name of my two boys, and a pseudonym for the western short stories I write. I did have a heart attack, and Ichy Bodd took over for a few weeks while I was recovering, but that was December 6, 1986, a day that will go down in INFAMY! Ichy Bodd and I wrote all of the syndicated shows that the public may have seen on the air. The early shows were written by various other people, several by Vanilla White, who went wild whenever she ever got vowels sent to her. All of us that were on the show are still living here in Fargo: The Madd Programmer (James Erickson), a good friend and a real character in real life, was the supposed culprit who dug up the films. He currently works for a radio company here in Fargo. Ichy Bodd (Martin Jonason) was my main sidekick and critic of the films. I see him weekly. The two of us are collaborating on a variety of projects, mostly two film scripts, which we are diligently trying to produce. Billy Jabber (Dave Prentice) who wore the ancient football helmet was the mechanic, a talker and a talented fellow on the guitar. He played with THE UGLIES, a band group around this area for many years. Dr. Phil O'dendron (Bill Flint), our roving character, works at WalMart.
Vanilla White (Judy Rae), our lovely blond, plays piano here in various places.

I was the voice of Harvey. He was in an upright casket where I hung up my cape. I always told him not to view the movie because it was too gory. No one ever saw Harvey. I did the voice of Miss Frizzy (the doll) and George (the skull/candle).

The heyday of the series was from 1985 -1995. I had 18 films out to various AIN independent TV stations, and although the program aired in over 40 states and to millions of viewers, alas, I never made a dime from any of it, Strangely enough, the show was hijacked off of satellite, since I often ran across people who claimed they had seen the show in places where we knew the show had not been syndicated.

I thank all of the fans who still remember the show and all its quirky humor. We all loved producing the show, which usually consisted of about 24 minutes of shtick in between the movie segments. We usually produced the entire show within four hours time, always rushed, but I was blessed with a crowd of guys and gals who had good chemistry. Those were absolutely the most fun days I ever had.

My regards to you all,
MADD FRANK (DEL DVORACHEK)"

VALLEYCON 34 is proud to host a special tribute and reunion of MADD FRANK PRESENTS!

Meet Madd and as many of his cohorts he can dig up and also hear about Del's other endeavors (he's also an author of several books!) Saturday at 2 pm!

Tracy Scoggins

Media Guest

Tracy Scoggins has been in shows like the A-Team, Remington Steele, Babylon 5, Deep Space Nine, Highlander, Dante's Cove, and many others.

Tracy Scoggins is perhaps best known for her role as Captain Elizabeth Lochley, a career military officer with a troubled past, in Babylon 5, the 1998 TV movies Babylon 5: The River of Souls, Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, and its spinoff series Crusade.

The youngest child of two attorneys, Tracy Scoggins was a prodigious athlete during her high school years, excelling in a numerous sports, including gymnastics and diving. She graduated from Dickinson High School at the age of sixteen and enrolled in Southwest Texas State University, where she studied physical education. While at SWTSU, Scoggins nearly qualified for a spot on the 1980 Olympic diving team, however if she had done, she would not have competed as USA boycotted the Olympics that year.

Following graduation, Scoggins briefly taught physical education before being recruited by John Casablancas of the Elite modeling agency. Elite sent Scoggins to New York, where she worked for a year before taking of the European modeling circuit, including assignments in Italy, Germany, and France.

Scoggins returned to the United States and studied with the Herbert Berghoff Studio and the Wynn Hanmann Studio in hopes of launching an acting career. She was a guest star on TV shows including The Dukes of Hazzard (in a memorable role as a fake deputy sheriff) and T. J. Hooker. Her first role was in the TV movie Twirl, also starring Heather Locklear, although she was soon cast in the 1984 television series Renegades. Scoggins also landed a role on the Dynasty spinoff The Colbys, playing Monica Colby, the daughter of Charlton Heston's character. She has also guest-starred in various TV series, such as Remington Steele and The A-Team.

Scoggins landed a number of recurring or short-term roles on television series in the 1980s and 1990's, including society columnist Catherine "Cat" Grant in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Amanda Carpenter on Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, Elizabeth Lochley on Babylon 5 and its spin-off Crusade, Cassandra on Highlander, and Anita Smithfield in two Dallas TV movies.

She was one of several Babylon 5 actors to guest star in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She guest starred in the episode "Destiny" as Gilora Rejal, a Cardassian engineer who became infatuated with Miles O'Brien. While in Cardassian makeup, she took the opportunity to walk around the Paramount lot, scaring schoolchildren on buses! Finally, security called the DS9 set and said "Could ya'll do something about keeping your aliens contained over there?"

Alan Spencer, cult figure and creator of the TV show "Sledge Hammer!" cast Scoggins in an offbeat and hilarious pilot produced for CBS called "Galaxy Beat." Sadly, the pilot didn't sell but Spencer and Scoggins remain close friends. Spencer says she's "one of the funniest people on earth and also one of the best."

Recently, Scoggins has starred in the season premiere of cult TV show Nip/Tuck, playing a mother and one of Christian's lovers. She has also been a main character on the GLBT horror series Dante's Cove.

We are extremely excited to have Tracy come to Fargo (her first time in this area!). Please join us in welcoming her!

Scoggins is gorgeous. Even up close. She's the woman all other women want so desperately to hate, but somehow cannot help but love. When we meet in August 2002 at Atlanta's Marriott Marquis, I am suddenly thankful to have left my boyfriend waiting for me downstairs in the lobby, lest he be seduced by her charms. Though I am genuinely intrigued by her comedy and candor, I am secretly hating myself for scanning her sunny Texan face for even the slightest imperfection-some shred of evidence that she may not be, well, perfect. But within seconds of sitting down with her and her lovely mother, LouCille, it's alarmingly apparent that the beauty radiating from this ageless actress is emerging from somewhere beyond her green feline eyes, soaring cheekbones and mega-watt smile. Then it dawns on me. Not only is she a pretty face, she's a great person, too. Damn.

A true Southern woman, Tracy Scoggins is a contradiction: Intellectual and athletic, composed and forthright, refined and racy. She's refreshingly real and, for a woman who has spent some time in outer space (not to mention Hollywood), delightfully down to earth.

Tamara Holly: It's obvious what your fans get out of a convention such as this [Dragon*Con 2002]. Why do you come?

Tracy Scoggins: Sci-fi fans are so devoted and so courteous and so respectful, how could you not like it? And coming from Texas, I'm used to talking to everybody. When I first moved to New York, I was with Elite Modeling and John Casablancas came up to me one day, [in a quite convincing French accent], "Tracy, you talk to everyone, people are going to think you're a hooker!"

TH: What is it about the science fiction genre that affects fans so strongly?

TS: First of all, it's a very intelligent genre. And it's also one that sort of shows hope for the future, you know? It presents the future, usually, in a very hopeful way. And I think that, I'm sure it's tied in to the way they respond. For me, the fact that my sci-fi character [Babylon 5's Capt. Elizabeth Lochley] is a very strong woman and a very admirable female role model, I think strong women, all women, respond to it. And a certain more educated man responds to it.

TH: You played Charlton Heston's daughter on The Colbys. What was it like to work with one of the "Greats"?

TS: After The Colbys was off the air, I would be doing a play in a 99-seat theatre, just to keep my chops going, and on opening night, I would have roses from Charlton Heston [with a note] that said, Love, Daddy. He is a wonderful guy. I mean, how did he know?

TH: Sounds like he took a genuine interest in you and your career...

TS: ...and that's the way he was on the set. He was very paternal in all the best ways. This is a funny story: He had this really cool black Corvette and I said, "Please, please, pleeeease let me drive it", and he's like, "Just around the lot". You can only go 5 MILES AN HOUR around the lot! [Laughing] I'm sure I drove him crazy asking.

TH: You graduated high school when you were only 16 years old. Have you always been a motivated person?

LouCille: She was reading and writing when she was three.

TS: I was not old enough to go to school until the 3rd grade and in the 2nd grade I had a private tutor. I didn't even think of it as motivation. You don't know anything else, that's what you think is normal.

LouCille: We were middle aged when we had her and we never talked baby talk to her. And we were always reading to her.

TS: Plus, I was lucky that I was tall for my age, so I fit in OK.

TH: Adolescence is awkward enough, so you want to fit in.

TS: Well, I had another identity by then. I was the jock. When youre that age, you just need some kind of identity to get you through.

TH: Speaking of being a jock, how do you stay in such great shape?

TS: [Snickering conspiratorially] I have friends that call me President of the Just F****** Lucky Club. (Before we hate her, let's remember that Tracy starred in and produced 2 fitness videos).

TH: How were you initially discovered?

TS: I had heard that John Casablancas was going to be in Houston doing a talent scout and he would be seeing Houston models. Well, I wasn't a model yet, but I arranged to be there to meet him and he said, "Where are your pictures", and I said, "Well, um, they're all at a client's in Dallas. I'm sorry, they're so in demand!" [Laughing].

TH: So how did you make the move from print to television?

TS: I'll tell you the route for me. I had a commercial agent in New York, back then in the early 80's, fitness wasnt the craze it became later. I was a springboard diver, a gymnast, a water skier, a trampolinist. I played all these off-beat sports and it was a time when everyone didn't have that swimsuit body, so I got all the parts I went up for. And consequently, my commercial agent loved me-[Laughs]-he thought I pooped ice cream. And, plus, I remember when I went for the diving commercial for Sunkist, and there were girls at the audition that were better divers than me, but the director didn't know. He's like, "We'll take the one with the long legs." The girls that went up for it were truly maybe national level competitors, maybe not models.

TH: You were recently a guest star on WB's Felicity. What was that experience like?

TS: It was fun. It was just this past season, actually. I played a crazy beauty pageant leader. When youre a guest star on something [pauses]...I come from a couple decades where, when youre the star, you welcome everyone. When I was on The Colbys and on Lonesome Dove and Babylon 5 and there were guest people, I would make sure they had chairs, knew where the coffee was, and they didn't do that. It's just a different time.

TH: Do you think that kind of hospitality is a Southern trait?

TS: Well, maybe it's partially Southern. Maybe I never really analyzed it that way. But, I'm not saying, Oh, I'm so kind, it's just that there seems to be a trend toward Let's take care of ourselves. I mean, you're supposed to be nice to people.

TH: Yes sir, no sir...

TS: ...please and thank you. My pet peeve these days is No problem instead of You're welcome.

TH: Right, it's like, Thank you for not letting me cause a problem for you.

TS: Yeah! I don't want to hear about a problem. I've gotten to the point where if people say, "You're welcome" in a restaurant, I tip them double just because it's so uncommon.

TH: It's unfortunate that nowadays we comment on niceness as if it were some unique quality. People should be nice.

TS: Thats what I always say because I spend part of the year in Texas. I have to leave any time I start to be shocked by kindness. I want to spend my life being shocked by cruelty and meanness. I dont want the table to turn that way.

TH: You starred in the Rape is Not an Option video with BET's Bev Smith. How did you become involved on that project?

TS: [It was] fantastic. The guys who wrote and produced it just really had us both in mind for it. They thought we would be good together and I thought we would. I did some research on [rape] when I first got the rough draft and I learned things that I had no idea about. I had no idea that rape is most unreported in minority communities.

TH: The statistics are shocking. It's so prevalent that even small, intimate groups of friends are affected by it. I commend you for being involved in that video.

TS: Part of my motivation was because I had been attacked in an elevator in El Paso when I was hosting the Miss Universe Pageant. And I beat the snot out of him. And he actually sued me. I spent about $80K on attorney's fees and they're like, "Just give him anything" and I said, "I will NOT! I will send all of your children to law school before I give him a nickel!" And I let them dismiss [the case]... I always thought justice somehow found the truth.

TH: Unfortunately, thats not always the case. So, was the video cathartic for you?

TS: It was, it truly was. Because in the video I say if someone touches you, they have no respect for you. Do whatever, mutilate them, kill them, do whatever you have to do to stop it.

TH: You've done stage, TV, film, modeling. What's next for you?

TS: I really like writing. I know so many people say that, but I feel that's my next frontier.

TH: A novel, screenplay?

TS: Screenplays, probably. I like short stories. I like to read Cynthia Ozick. I love her essays. That's probably the next thing. I've produced the workout videos and I like the process of making something out of nothing. To see a yellow legal pad that I've made notes on and then to see the finished product...

TH: ...it becomes your baby...

TS: ...it really does.

About the Interviewer: Tamara Holly is a freelance writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is now venturing into entertainment journalism - her true passion.

Joel Rosenberg

Author Guest

Author Joel Rosenberg is best known known for his Guardians of the Flame series and many more!

From the unofficial Joel Rosenberg fansite!

Joel Rosenberg was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1954 and was raised in eastern North Dakota and northern Connecticut. He attended the University of Connecticut, where he met and married Felicia Herman.

Joel's occupations, before settling down to writing full-time, have run the usual gamut, including driving a truck, caring for the institutionalized retarded blind, bookkeeping, gambling, motel desk-clerking, and a two-week stint of passing himself off as a head chef.

Joel's first sale, an op-ed piece favoring nuclear power, was published in The New York Times. His stories have appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Perpetual Light, Amazing Science Fiction Stories, and TSR's The Dragon. His novels have been published by Roc, Avon, Berkley, Tor and Baen Books. He is also the author of Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun In Minnesota and is an A.A.C.F.I and N.R.A certified firearms instructor.

Joel's hobbies include backgammon, poker, bridge, as well as cooking; his broiled butterfly leg of lamb has to be tasted to be believed.

He lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife Felicia, his daughters Judy and Rachel, 4 cats and 1 dog.

Joel has over two dozen novels published, his latest being a collaboration with Raymond Feist titled "Murder in LaMut", a Riftwar saga crossover.

Joel is well known for his Guardians of the Flame series and many more!

Tina Holland

Author Guest

Local author who wrote Dealing with the Dead and Furry Fluffy & Wild.

Tina Holland was born in Frankfurt, Germany to military parents and is a self-proclaimed military brat. She has been writing since childhood and continues to be prolific at least in starting manuscripts. Tina began her career by attending a Romantic Times Convention in 2003, and writing a short story for Kathryn Falk's Bordella series. After additional encouragement Tina decided writing was a dream worth pursuing. Her debut e-book, The Pilot and the Pinup was released by Liquid Silver Books in 2005.

Tina began writing Erotic Horror her first Anthology Of Flesh and Blood. Her story deals with post apocalyptic earth and all matter of creatures that go bump in the night. Of Flesh and Blood was chosen as a finalist in 2007 for Anthology of the Year by E-Cata Romance. Tina is currently working on another story in the Sin Vegas Saga where the hero is a zombie - now that should be interesting. Tina continues to write as her schedule allows. She is active in Romance Writers of America, is a founding member of Women Artists in North Dakota and belongs to the Fargo Writers group. When Tina is not writing she can be found enjoying her hobby farm. It may seem like a desolate place but with her husband, horses, dogs and cats, it's rarely lonely. It's the perfect fit for a wonderful imagination and an opportunity to be a little naughty.

Of Flesh and Blood AnthologyPublisher: Liquid Silver Books
ISBN 978-1-59578-384-4 Dealing with the Dead
In the futuristic locale of Sin Vegas, things go bump in the night. Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies - OH MY. Humans are rare and remain in hiding. Melissa and her clan have found a way to survive. Possession. Melissa is a Passage - allowing her body to be possessed by earthbound souls.

Drake Vermillion is a vampire looking for a quick bite. Instead he finds Melissa, but when she turns ice-cold before the first taste, Drake is intrigued rather than fearful of the huntress. Melissa may normally hunt creatures of the night, but she makes an exception when Drake offers her the one thing she can?t refuse - Help for her clan. Trusting a vampire, killing zombies, and being possessed by ghosts are all part of Dealing with the Dead.

"Dealing with the Dead is a fabulous read in a way because of the horror overtones of this story. Really, the vampires and shifters kill and eat people, so there is a wonderful atmosphere of claustrophobic terror in this story, especially when our heroine eventually needs the help of a potential predator to get out of Le Cage alive..." - Ms. Giggles

Furry Fluffy & Wild AnthologyPublisher: Liquid Silver Books
ISBN: 978-1-59578-480-3Beauty is a Beast
Welcome to the future! The year is 3025 and humans are fast becoming extinct. Nizhoni of Mojave Earth Clan knows her spirit guide will protect by giving her the power of the wolf. When she unwittingly bites another human she flees.

Michael of the Air Clan has searched for the woman he called Beauty who turned him into a creature of the moon. When he finds her living among the Mojave, he believes he can finally claim her. There's only one problem she's already married.

Together Nizhoni and Michael must battle her former lover, the Yee Naaldlooshi or feared skin-walker. The fate of their love and humankind hang in the balance. If Beauty can't have her mate and save the world she's going to be a real Beast.

"BEAUTY IS A BEAST - The premise of this story fascinated me, combining elements of ghost lore, shape shifting and tribal culture. And I liked the characters. Michael had the ability to be both strong and empathetic. Nizhoni loved with all her heart, once she got over her fear, and she was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of others. Nizhoni's father showed the strength and wisdom needed to raise a child and lead a tribe." - Wild on Books

Erin McKee

Artist Guest

Erin McKee has been professionally painting for the past 30 years, but she's really been an artist all of her life.

Erin McKee has been professionally painting for the past 30 years, but she's really been an artist all of her life. Erin was first helped by her mother giving her lots of blank sheets of paper to draw on instead of coloring books as a young child. This was excellent preparation for later art classes, because when faced with a blank piece of paper, Erin already had her imagination primed and ready to go. Erin's formal background is in advertising art, which she learned as a student at Southern Utah State in Cedar City, Utah. But Erin was just too darn nice to work in the advertising world, so she decided to strike out on her own as an artist.

One of Erin's abiding influences in her life was her experiences with animals growing up; especially dogs, as she and her family bred and trained German Shepherds, and also had a rabbitry with over 200 rabbits to care for. In addition, Erin had a horse she loved to ride in the foothills of the mountains of Southern Utah as a teenager, various other livestock, and lots of cats! Erin has many stories to tell about all of them, and perhaps as this site grows we'll be able to relate some of them to readers here. Erin's eye for how animals really look and move was well informed by her years of looking at these and many other animals.

Erin got her career started in the world of science fiction and fantasy, thanks first to her own interest in the literature and the fact that fans of SF and fantasy often gather together to meet at conventions around the U.S. Erin's drawings of griffins and other such mythological creatures which looked like real animals instead of cartoon creations found a receptive audience at SF convention art shows, and Erin went on to win many awards for her work. In the past 16 years, Erin has also found a niche as an artist in the world of the renaissance, and has exhibited her work in her shop at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and at and other renaissance faires around the U.S.

As far as the kind of art Erin does, she doesn't particularly care for depicting cute unicorns or poker-playing dogs. Erins style of painting instead gently blends a realistic style with elements of fantasy. Erin works primarily in acrylics, pastels, and lately digital media, and also had done works on scratchboard and with pen & ink. In addition to her body of fantasy and SF art, Erin has also painted wildlife art, and has done commissioned work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Erin's animals have their own souls, and aren't simply a reflection of our own human nature.

This brief biography can only begin to tell you about Erin, but her art certainly also says a lot about her. Of course, if you'd like to meet her in person yourself, Erin can be found at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in August and September outside Minneapolis, MN, as well as at the Renaissance Faire of the Midwest in Council Bluffs, IA the second weekend in June. Erin also makes regular appearances at several science fiction conventions in the Midwest and has done shows in Florida and Canada over the past few years. And if you ever happen to be in the vicinity of Erin's home in New Richmond, Wisconsin, you're welcome to come visit.

Joel "MOjo" Moen

Artist Guest

Local artist who's works include Batman, Major Bummer, X-men Unlimited, and Night of the Living Dead: Barbara's Zombie Chronicles.

Joel "MOjo" Moen started out his career as an inking assistant to Tom Nguyen on such books as: Major Bummer, Superman- Man of Steel, JLA, Batman, and X-men Unlimited.

Soon after he was contracted to ink the book "Hellion" from upstart company Dead Dog Comics. MOjo stayed on at Dead Dog Comics for 8 years as Editor-in-Chief while also inking, writing, or scripting the books: Bad Company Incorporated, Mydevil, From Heaven to Hell, Night of the Living Dead: Barbara's Zombie Chronicles, Curse of the Blood Clan, and Cryptic Magazine.